How reading time is estimated
Reading time is the word count divided by your reading speed in words per minute. The default speed of 200 wpm is a typical adult silent reading pace. Adjust it up for light fiction, or down for technical documentation, academic papers, or text you need to re-read.
Worked example. A 1,000-word article at the default 200 wpm takes 5 minutes (1,000 ÷ 200). At 250 wpm it takes 4 minutes; at 150 wpm it takes about 6.7 minutes.
Common content lengths
| Content type | Typical word count | Time at 200 wpm |
|---|---|---|
| Blog post | 800–1,500 | 4–7 min |
| Long-form article | 2,000–3,000 | 10–15 min |
| Short story | 3,000–7,500 | 15–37 min |
| Novella | 20,000–40,000 | 1.5–3 hours |
Word count vs. reading time on websites
Many publishing platforms display estimated reading times next to articles. They use the same formula: word count ÷ average reading speed. This calculator lets you choose your own speed rather than relying on a platform default.